PHYLOGENY OF ATLANTO-MEDITERRANEAN BLENNIIDS F. ALMADA ET AL. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 86, 283–295. With 1 figure Phylogenetic relationships of the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean blenniids Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/86/3/283/2691505 by B-On Consortium Portugal user on 29 May 2019 FREDERICO ALMADA1,2*, VÍTOR C. ALMADA1, THOMAS GUILLEMAUD3 and PETER WIRTZ4 1Unidade de Investigação em Eco-etologia, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Rua do Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041, Lisboa, Portugal 2Instituto de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal 3USVE, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 2078, 06606 Antibes cedex, France 4Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, 8000- 062 Faro, Portugal Received 10 November 2003; accepted for publication 23 October 2004 The phylogenetic relationships of 27 north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean blennioids are analysed based on a total of 1001 bp from a combined fragment of the 12S and 16S mitochondrial rDNA. The most relevant results with implications in current blenniid taxonomy are: (1) Lipophrys pholis and Lipophrys (= Paralipophrys) trigloides are included in a well-supported clade that by the rule of precedence must be named Lipophrys; (2) the sister species of this clade are not the remaining species of the genus Lipophrys but instead a monotypic genus comprising Cory- phoblennius galerita; (3) the smaller species of Lipophrys were recovered in another well-supported and independent clade, which we propose to be recognized as Microlipophrys; (4) although some authors included the genera Salaria and Lipophrys in a single group we have never recovered such a relationship. Instead, Salaria is more closely related to the genera Scartella and Parablennius; (5) the genus Parablennius, which was never recovered as a monophyletic clade, is very diverse and may include several distinct lineages; (6) the relative position of Aidablennius sphynx casts some doubts on the currently recognized relationships between the different blenniid tribes. Meristic, morphological, behavioural and ecological characters support our results and are also discussed. The possible roles of the tropical West African coast and the Mediterranean in the diversification of blenniids are discussed. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 86, 283–295. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: 12S rDNA – 16S rDNA – Blenniidae – phylogeny. INTRODUCTION molecular evidence (Springer, 1993; Nelson, 1994; Stepien et al., 1997). However, the taxonomic history of Blennioids have a world-wide distribution, reaching the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean blen- their highest diversity in tropical and subtropical seas niids has been marked by many revisions and species (Nelson, 1994). They are one of the most abundant and reassignments. Some controversies arose with some important fish groups in the north-eastern Atlantic authors splitting and others clumping the different and Mediterranean rocky shores. Study of the phylo- taxa. A summary of this complex history is presented genetic relationships of these fishes may provide an in Table 1 and is described in the following paragraphs. important contribution to our understanding of the In his synopsis of the Blenniidae, Norman (1943) history of the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterra- grouped species of this family into three subfamilies, nean ichthyofauna. Ophioblenniinae, Salariinae and Blenniinae. He The monophyly of the suborder Blennioidei and the erected the monospecific genus Coryphoblennius with family Blenniidae is supported by morphological and Coryphoblennius galerita (Linnaeus, 1758) and placed the remaining north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterra- *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] nean blenniids in the genus Blennius. He also © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 86, 283–295 283 284 F. ALMADA Table 1. Schematic representation summarizing the main revisions of the taxonomy of the Atlanto-Mediterranean blenniids, by Norman (1943), Bath (1977) and ET AL Zander (1986). For simplification purposes only the species analysed in this paper are shown © 2005TheLinnean SocietyofLondon, Norman, 1943 Bath, 1977 Zander, 1986 . Genera Sub-genera Species Genera Species Genera Species Coryphoblennius C. galerita Coryphoblennius C. galerita Coryphoblennius C. galerita Blennius Blennius B. ocellaris Blennius B. ocellaris Blennius B. ocellaris Salaria B. sphynx Aidablennius A. sphynx Aidablennius A. sphynx B. sanguinolentus Pictiblennius Pi. sanguinolentus Parablennius P. sanguinolentus Pi. parvicornis P. parvicornis Pi. incognitus P. incognitus B. gattorugine Pi. zvonimiri P. zvonimiri B. tentacularis Parablennius P. gattorugine P. gattorugine B. pilicornis P. tentacularis P. tentacularis Biological Journal oftheLinneanSociety, P. pilicornis P. pilicornis P. rouxi P. rouxi P. ruber B. cristatus Scartella S. cristata Scartella S. cristata B. fluviatilis Salaria S. fluviatilis Lipophrys L. fluviatilis S. pavo L. pavo Lipophrys B. trigloides Paralipophrys P. trigloides L. trigloides B. pholis Lipophrys L. pholis L. pholis B. canevai L. canevai L. canevai B. adriaticus L. adriaticus L. adriaticus B. nigriceps L. nigriceps L. nigriceps B. dalmatinus L. dalmatinus L. dalmatinus 2005, 86 , 283–295 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/86/3/283/2691505 by B-On Consortium Portugal user on 29 May 2019 May 29 on user Portugal Consortium B-On by https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/86/3/283/2691505 from Downloaded PHYLOGENY OF ATLANTO-MEDITERRANEAN BLENNIIDS 285 suggested that Blennius should be divided into three electrophoresis in seven blenniid species, and recov- subgenera: Blennius, Lipophrys and Salaria. ered three groups: Parablennius, Lipophrys and Scar- Springer (1968), Springer & Smith-Vaniz (1972) and tella. C. galerita was not included in their analysis. Smith-Vaniz (1976) addressed the taxonomic classifi- This brief review illustrates the controversy on the cation within the family Blenniidae mainly at a sub- phylogeny of this group. One major drawback of the family and tribe level. They recognized six major studies reported so far was their lack of a cladistic Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/86/3/283/2691505 by B-On Consortium Portugal user on 29 May 2019 lineages within the Blenniidae. Bock & Zander (1986) approach (except for Springer, 1993; Stepien et al., renamed one of these lineages, with the final result 1997), which led to definitions of groups based on mere being the recognition of the following six tribes: Sala- similarities, i.e. mixtures of primitive and derived riinae, Blenniini, Parablenniini, Omobranchini, Phen- characters. Additionally, in many of these studies, the ablenniini and Nemophini. Nelson (1994) restated this different lineages were highly unequally represented, classification with Ophioblennius atlanticus (Valenci- limiting the validity of the generalizations made. ennes, 1836) in the tribe Salariini, Blennius ocellaris The first molecular and cladistic approach to the Linnaeus, 1758 in the tribe Blenniini and the remain- phylogeny of blennioid fishes was performed by ing north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean species Stepien et al. (1997). However, they addressed the in the tribe Parablenniini. relationships among families and tribes at a similar Bath (1977) extensively revised these fishes and level to that of Springer (1993) with morphological suggested that Lipophrys should be raised to generic data. Furthermore, although Stepien et al. (1997) did status, but he also erected a new monospecific genus sample four of the six recognized tribes of the with Paralipophrys trigloides (Valenciennes, 1836). Blenniidae, only two of the Parablenniini genera were He was the first to suggest that Parablennius is a included. In addition, the eastern Atlantic and Medi- polyphyletic genus placing several species currently terranean species of this tribe were not included, thus classified as Parablennius in a new genus named leaving the controversy about the phylogeny of the Pictiblennius. Atlanto-Mediterranean blenniids unresolved. Based Zander (1978) argued against the inclusion of on molecular data from a fragment of the mitochon- Paralipophrys and Salaria in Lipophrys and of Picti- drial 12S rDNA, they suggested that: (1) the family blennius in Parablennius, which was also defended by Blenniidae is monophyletic; (2) the tribe Parablenniini Bock & Zander (1986) and Nelson (1994). Subse- appears to be monophyletic – the tribe Salariini is quently, Bath (1981) himself admitted the inclusion of paraphyletic due to the fact that the genus Ophioblen- Pictiblennius in Parablennius. nius was recovered with the tribes Nemophini and Papaconstantinou (1977) reported a close relation- Omobranchini; and (3) the Salariini, with the excep- ship between C. galerita and Lipophrys (= Paralipop- tion of Ophioblennius, are a sister group of the Para- hrys) trigloides based on a comparative study of the blenniini. Stepien et al. (1997) also confirmed some skulls of Mediterranean blenniids. Also based on skull relationships within the suborder Blennioidei, provid- morphology, Bock & Zander (1986) noted a close rela- ing evidence that the Tripterygiidae are the sister tionship between Coryphoblennius and Lipophrys. family of the Blenniidae.